Changes in visceral pain reactivity as a function of estrous cycle in female rats with artificial ureteral calculosis.
This study examined estrous differences in the characteristics of behavioral crises of visceral pain in female rats video-taped throughout a 4-day period after implantation of an artificial stone in one ureter. All animals continued to have a regular cycle after ureteral surgery. In the recording period, the percentage of time spent in crises was significantly higher during metestrus/diestrus (M/D) than during proestrus/estrus (P/E) (P < 0.001, chi2-test). Mean duration and complexity of crises were slightly higher in M/D than in P/E, but the difference was not significant. The results in this animal model show an enhancement of ureteral pain sensitivity in M/D, a finding in line with the clinical observation, in fertile women with urinary calculosis, of a greater incidence of colics in the perimenstrual period (equivalent to M/D in rats).
Giamberardino
M A
MA
Pathophysiology of Pain Laboratory, Institute of Medical Pathophysiology G. D'Annunzio University of Chieti, Italy. mag@unich.it
Affaitati
G
G
Valente
R
R
Iezzi
S
S
Vecchiet
L
L
D000818:Animals; D004031:Diestrus / Q000502:physiology; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008686:Metestrus / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011359:Proestrus / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014781:Viscera / Q000503:physiopathology*